The American Military Tradition: From Colonial Times to the Present

(Paperback, Second Edition)

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Description

In The American Military Tradition historians John M. Carroll and Colin F. Baxter gather an esteemed group of military historians to explore the pivotal issues and themes in American warfare from the Colonial era to the present conflict in Iraq. From the reliance on militia and the Minutemen of the American Revolution to the all-volunteer specialized troops of today, these twelve essays analyze the continuities and changes in the conduct of war over the past three centuries. In this completely revised second edition, new essays explore Napoleonic warfare, the American Civil War, the Plains Wars in the West, the War against Japan, the nuclear arms race, and the War on Terror. The book, while not avoiding the nature of battle, goes beyond tactics and strategy to include the enormous social and political impact of America's wars.

Reviews

The twelve essays in this volume combine in a comprehensive, well-integrated and economically presented overview of America's military heritage from the colonial era to the present day. Analytical rather than narrative in approach, never shying from controversial issues, the work is admirably suited to undergraduate and graduate classes, and should appeal to general readers as well. -- Dennis E. Showalter, Colorado College; author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century
An exciting, readable, and thought-provoking study. * Johnson City Press *
The contributors conscientiously summarize nearly all major viewpoints. . . . A useful commentary and analysis concerning some of the most pressing questions and issues in the nation's martial experience. * Journal of Military History *
This book is a useful compendium to any student of military history. [It] provides great variety coupled with an expertise within the different subjects covered. * Military Chest Book Review *
Carroll and Baxter hit their mark by accuratelyand sometimes vividlyrecounting major events, along with discussing the evolution of American warriors from citizen-soldiers to professional soldiers. * Air and Space Power Journal *
The book should be required reading for the professional soldier interested in development of military traditions and heritage. The essays are clear, concise, and provide the reader with the essential history of each period. This book is important for anyone interested in understanding how the American Military developed over the past two hundred years. But more than that, it should be read in the light of how any army can emulate the military traditions of other nations to better their own. * Journal of the Royal Artillery *
The American Military Tradition reads easily and should be a welcome addition to the military history literature. . . . Instructors faced with introducing undergraduates to American military history might well consider adopting this book for their classes. * Army History *

Author Bio

John M. Carroll is Regents' Professor of History at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. Colin F. Baxter is chair of the Department of History at East Tennessee State University.